8 Ideas to Update & Decorate Your Hallway -

How to Decorate Your Hallway

Hallways are generally seen as ‘transition’ areas from one room to another, so while a lot of money and thought is put into ‘rooms,’ not as much consideration is given to the spaces that connect them.

Hallways can be long, short, wide, narrow, dark, or bright, and they can all benefit from a bit of TLC (or KLC, since you’re reading my blog). Today, we’ll decorate your hallway from start to finish, adding visual interest from one end to the other!

1. ADD AN ACCENT WALL

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Yes, even your hallway can have a feature wall! Adding texture and interest to the end wall is a great way to jazz up a boring hallway. Then, you can use the other tips in this blog post to finish it off!

The above shows the feature wall in our old family room area. Previously, the back hallway was just a hallway. Now, it’s an accent to the family room.

This next hallway has a foundation wall that juts out a few inches, making it an easy target for a dark color.

The Best Paint Colors for Accent Walls

This dark staircase had no personality until we added a shiplap accent wall and painted it an accent color…

Check out this next boring hallway, which happens to be in our last home – whoopie-ding, right?

After, it has more personality and depth…

You would think having a view of the loo would be bad. It’s not. I purposely go to the bathroom and leave the door open. Then, when Tim’s home, I wave at him when he comes around the corner. Every time he says, ‘Really Ky, you can’t shut the door?‘ I’m like, ‘HELLLL’S NO, can you grab me a glass of wine?‘

Anyway, that’s enough potty mouth; let’s look at more ideas.

2. ADD DECORATIVE MOLDINGS

While this is more of a DIY idea than a decorating one, adding molding to a boring hallway is a great way to kick things up a notch…

While I wouldn’t do as glossy of a finish as shown, a satin finish is perfect for adding a bit of reflective value and washability while not seeing your reflection as you pass by.

3. SMOKE & MIRRORS

Okay, maybe no smoke, but definitely some mirrors—and definitely no smoked mirrors—those are SO 70s. Adding a mirror will visually expand a narrow or long hallway, making it feel brighter and wider. Mirrors act like windows, taking light (fake or natural) from one area and bouncing it into another.

My e-design client below wanted to add some drama to the end of her boring hallway. The dark stained doors were already the showpiece of her space, and I didn’t want to compete with them, so I suggested a dark paint color with a glorious ornate mirror!

Full-length mirrors on the end wall are creepy; I’d need to do jazz hands every time I walk down the hallway (which I may do regardless). Also, they’ll make your hallway look like it never…ever…ends, which is not good for what is typically a narrow space—the above mirror is as long as I’d go.

On the technical side (which is much more relevant), a mirror on the end wall won’t bounce light around quite as much nor make a narrow hallway feel any wider, although it will add some general ‘light.’

4. UPDATE YOUR DOOR HARDWARE

Seriously, you have no idea how much bang for buck you’ll get out of this one. No matter the decade (yes, even the early 2000s!), old door hardware is a great way to date your hallway and make it look old. And as far as home updates go, the money spent is fractional to the visual enjoyment you’ll get!

Ideas to Update Your Hardware & Lighting: Finishes & More

5. UPDATE IT WITH PAINT

By default, many hallways are painted the same color as the rest of the home. While this can be layout/palette dependent, many hallways need a little color adjustment.

While the rest of this gorgeous home is painted a light-medium-depth shade of green-gray, the hallway is better suited to this warm cream paint color.

The Best Off-White Paint Colors

6. DRESS THAT BAD BOY UP

While this hallway display needs a little decorative finessing, the bones are there for a beautiful vignette. The long sofa table grounds the space, and the artwork above creates a focal point. To finish it, they might drop the artwork a few inches, add a table lamp, and some purposefully placed decor.

7. PAINT AN IMPORTANT DOOR

Whether you have a key door at the end of your hallway or partway through (e.g., a garage door), paint it an accent color to draw your eye to it and add some personality.

The Best Paint Colors for the Inside of Your Front Door

8. CONSIDER THE ADJOINING ROOMS

One of the best ways to create flow in your home is to have a coherent color palette. If your hallway is being painted a transitional, flexible color, think about adding some thoughtful color to adjoining rooms, especially those with French doors or doors that are left open a lot of the time.